Exploring Fae (Lost In Fae #2) - M. Sinclair Page 0,1

voice. The body in front of me shifted, a head of golden hair buried against my neck, and a pair of lips pressed against a small star tattoo on my collarbone. A blush worked its way up my cheeks.

Why did I feel like the way he was holding me was unusual? Exciting, but something different than expected? I let out a small hum of contentment as the man behind me kissed my ear gently, causing me to naturally sink into the soft sheets.

“Trust me, Maize. We can take care of ourselves, I promise you.” His voice was convincing and almost magical, my eyes closing and feeling heavy. I didn’t want to, but I couldn’t help it—I was giving into sleep with his soft, comforting voice lulling me into a state of darkness and safety.

Who were those men? I knew them. I couldn’t put a full face or name to them, though, making me feel an acute sense of loss. Maybe if I calmed down I would be able to remember better. Maybe that was the key. I mean, there had to be a reason for all of this. Right?

Before I could think further on it, a savage wind blasted through the space, causing me to nearly fall back over. Instead, I braced against it, the wind seeming to scream in anger as if I’d done something wrong, trying to forcibly tear the skin from my body. It hurt so much. Squinting around, I tried to see past the thick pines that were coated in icicles surrounding me in every single direction like a maze. There had to be somewhere safe to go. How did I land myself here? Wherever here was.

If I couldn’t remember how I had gotten here, how the hell was I going to get back?

I think I’d been in bed before this, with those large men… but why? I mean, who were they? Fuck. All of this sounded vaguely correct, but the details were muddled. There was something more there. Something I wasn’t understanding that had turned such a comfortable, safe scene into something much darker. Much more dangerous. A reason I was no longer sleeping, and it was frustrating and alarming to not be able to tell you why that was exactly.

Suddenly, above me, the full moon broke out from cloud cover to shine brilliantly down onto me like a spotlight for the entire forest to focus in on. Silver light surrounded me, highlighting my pain and confusion. My memories began to try to push forward, ones that I did remember from the severe trauma I’d suffered before… well, before whenever this was. Was I escaping from Mario’s dungeon? Maybe that was what was happening. Or they had left me out here to die.

The memory of shadows and darkness began to cause me to panic as anxiety invaded my chest, causing me to squeeze my eyes shut. No. Fuck no. I could not go there right now. I couldn’t trade my PTSD anxiety attack for whatever the hell was going on. The moon shone bright enough that it allowed me to ignore that it was night. To ignore the memories of being tied up and tortured down in a dungeon for three years of my life.

Just find somewhere safe.

Suddenly, the space filled with a familiar howl that had nothing to do with the wind and everything to do with a creature that was clearly at home within this forested terrain. It should have terrified me, but instead a sigh of relief broke from my lips, as if I knew who the howl belonged to. My skin broke out into shivers, craving their presence as I began to look around me eagerly searching for its originator.

I knew who this was… I just couldn’t tell you their name.

I tried to call out, their name right on the tip of my tongue, but all that was emitted was a raspy squeak. I couldn’t find my voice, and it was so goddamn frustrating that I felt like hitting my head against one of these trees. I needed something to break me from this state. Something to jog my memory.

When the next vicious howl sounded, it was from further away, and I desperately tried to let out some type of noise, needing them to hear me. To not abandon me. To come help me. I knew they were looking for me, and they were going the wrong way! I was so goddamn terrified that they would leave me. That they’d never